Gateway Mountain Biking

The Gateway, Nucla, Naturita and Norwood area of Colorado, also referred to as the West End, has many options for mountain biking with some singletrack and a lot of double-track.

The Gateway Trail system is located near Gateway Canyons Resort. The trails in this small network range from easy to intermediate. John Brown Canyon can be accessed from here for a gravel grinder ride. There are plans to build more trails in the future. [Getting Here]

The North Uncompahgre Plateaucan be accessed from Highway 141 and Divide Road. This high country riding area includes a mix of multi-user singletrack and double-track. There is off-road vehicle use in this area, mainly ATVs and some motorcycles. Popular trails include Corral Fork and Little Creek [Getting Here]

The Paradox Trailwas established in 1995 by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, Inc. (COPMOBA) in collaboration with Montrose West Recreation, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. The 110 mile long trail utilizes some of the hundreds of miles of backcountry jeep roads that exist in Western Montrose County. The trail links two other long distant trails in the region, the Tabeguache Trail to the east on the Uncompahgre Plateau and the Kokopelli Trail to the west in the La Sal Mountains of Utah. Together, the three trails form the “Grand Loop”, a grueling 360 mile back country system sure to challenge the strongest mountain bikers. [See brochure]

Rimrocker Trail goes from Montrose, CO to Moab, UT, spanning a distance of 160 miles, and provides 4WD, OHV and bicycle access through some of the West’s most stunning scenery.

The Thunder Trail system is located about 4 miles south of Norwood, Colorado via paved and dirt roads. The system has 19 miles of high country singletrack trails with four loops offering a variety of riding for all experience levels. All trails are open to motorcycle, mountain bike, horse, and foot travel. [Getting Here]

For maps of these areas, click on the Map link in the sidebar to the right. For lesser-known routes in the West End area, see the COPMOBA maps.

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